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Editor’s Note: This story was written before Ford had settled on EcoBoost as the name for its new suite of engines. It was previously known as TwinForce

These haven’t exactly been the best of times for the troops headquartered over on Blue Oval Boulevard. But a visit to Ford’s Dearborn Proving Grounds for a 2008 production model preview indicated a considerably brighter future may be just around the corner. Part of the presentation by Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s V.P. for global product development, also touched on a number of upcoming enhancements slated to roll out here during the next several years. Two in particular, TwinForce engines and PowerShift transmissions, could well end up being serious game changers.

TwinForce will be the first to arrive in America. Previewed on the Lincoln MKR concept vehicle at the 2007 North American International Auto Show and set to make its production debut on Lincoln’s new AWD flagship sedan, the MKS, this technology combines the formidable one-two punch of turbocharging and direct fuel injection. Although currently found on several four-cylinder engines in Ford’s corporate portfolio-most notably the Mazda 2.3-liter DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition) engines in the Mazdaspeed3, Mazdaspeed6, and CX-7, this marks the initial application of that potent pairing on a V-6, in this instance, Ford’s new all-aluminum Duratec 35.

Due to its superior combustion efficiencies, the TwinForce package can extract serious gains in output while maintaining excellent economy. The MKR’s TwinForced 3.5-liter twin-turbo unit makes a stout 415 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, figures Ford contends are equivalent to those of a 6.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8. Although it offered no hard mpg numbers, the firm also claims TwinForce technology will generate roughly 15-percent-better fuel economy than an equivalent V-8, while significantly trimming critical CO2 emissions. As a final touch, TwinForce engines are capable of running on either regular gasoline or an E85 ethanol blend. No announcement yet regarding subsequent applications on other engines in its U.S. lineup, but the system has potential for any powerplant, regardless of cylinder count.

To complement TwinForce engine technology, Ford also is preparing to launch a new dual-clutch “automated” manual transmission dubbed “PowerShift.” Codeveloped with its engineering partner, Getrag, a prototype six-speed unit was first shown to the public in 2004 in the Bronco Concept SUV. The production successor, also a six-speed, will be introduced this fall in Europe on turbodiesel versions of the Volvo S40/V50 and subsequently on a number of U.S. Ford models by the end of the decade. Ford claims the PowerShift gearbox has a mechanical efficiency of 80 percent, compared with a 68-percent figure for a typical four-speed automatic-sufficient to generate a fuel-economy savings of 10 percent. Equally promising, the basic design is adaptable to all types of vehicle/drivetrain configurations, and heavy-duty versions can already handle over 550 pound-feet of torque.

Less expensive to manufacture than a CVT and more compact than a traditional six-speed manual, this computer-controlled gearbox shares much common basic design with other dual-clutch systems, most notably, VW‘s original DSG unit. At its core is a hydraulically activated twin-clutch module that replaces the normal torque converter. This works in consort with a dual-layshaft architecture that places even-numbered gears on one shaft and odd-number gears on the other. Each set is activated by its corresponding clutch and ultimately sends power to a common output shaft. The “powershift” nomenclature refers to the manner in which this process occurs. Under acceleration, the system fully engages one gear while preselecting the next higher cog. At an optimum rpm/torque point, the electronic control unit executes a seamless changeover, disengaging one clutch as it engages the other to deliver a quick, smooth transition with virtually no interruption of power delivery. Like other dual-clutch systems, upshifting/downshifting can take place in full-auto mode or manually through the use of F1-style paddles.

Ford still faces a number of formidable challenges on its road to recovery in the U.S. But TwinForce and PowerShift technologies appear to be significant strides in the right direction, particularly if they can be interfaced with other sophisticated engineering features like selective cylinder deactivation, advanced valve actuation and start-stop systems that are also now making their way through the corporate pipeline.